Natural Hazards intro Flashcards
What is a hazard?
Something that is a potential threat to human life or property.
Geographical hazards
Linked to tectonics
Cause by land processes
They include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis.
Atmospheric hazards
Caused by climatic processes
They include tropical cyclones, storms, drought, extreme weather and wildfires.
Hydrological hazards
Caused by water movement
They include floods and avalanches.
Impacts of Hazards
Impacts are dependant on: Frequency and magnitude Population density Time of day Level of development Access to aid
There is an inverse relationship between frequency and magnitude; the higher the magnitude the lower the frequency.
Mount Belinda vs Stromboli
Mount Belinda, Montagu Island, erupted in October 2001 but posed no threat to people so wasn’t a hazard
whereas
Stromboli, Aeolian Islands, erupted in the same month. A group of tourists were pummelled by ash and lava bombs and one was killed, making it a hazard.
Hazard perception - Wealth
Richer people are able to afford to move to places that are less prone to hazards, or build homes to withstand them, reduce the risks for them.
Hazard perception - Religion
Some see hazards as an act of God sent to punish people, or will trust in his ‘plan’.
This approach is known as acceptance.
Hazard perception - Education
Some people have a better understanding of the risks, and believe that it is possible to reduce or mitigate the impacts.
This approach is known as domination.
Hazard perception - Past experience
People who live in hazard prone areas are likely to have experienced them before so will perceive them differently.
Hazard perception - Personality
Some will fear hazards and some will think of them as exciting.
Responses to Hazards - Fatalism
More common in LICs
People accept that there is a risk but choose to do very little about it.
There is limited organisational capacity leading to large loss of life however responses will be reactive.
Responses to Hazards - Prediction
A helpful way to prepare places for their impact.
e.g. hurricanes. Evacuations can occur and people can secure windows. It isn’t always effective as winds can change their paths however it is better to give some form of warning.
Earthquakes are much harder to predict
More likely to occur in HICs due to the amount of qualified experts and availability of monitoring technology.
Responses to Hazards - Adjustment/Adaptation
Changes in behaviour mean they will be able to cope better with future events.
More common in HICs due to cost.
e.g. Tornado Valley, Central USA
There are tornado shelters dug into the ground in which a family can be evacuated.
Responses to Hazards - Mitigation
Action taken to reduce or eliminate long term risks from hazards. (includes prediction and adaptation)
e.g. retro-engineering older buildings mitigates danger from collapsing or fires.
Responses to Hazards - Management
Identifying risks to human life and allocating appropriate resources to tackle the hazard.
Responses to Hazards - Risk sharing
National and international responses in preparing for disasters are set out by the UNs International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
Sharing information means that all countries can prepare better for hazards.
The Park Response Model
A model to show the changing quality of life (e.g. social stability and economic activity) through the 5 different stages of a hazard.
Stage 1 of the PRM
Pre-disaster
Quality of life is ‘normal’.
Preparation occurs - educating the population, stock piling supplies and putting medical teams on standby.
Stage 2 of the PRM
Disruption
During and directly after the event occurs.
QOL dramatically deteriorates
People begin to respond by erecting barricades and evacuating.
Stage 3 of the PRM
Relief
The aftermath of the event
Search, care and rescue teams work to prevent further damage, thus reversing the decline in quality of life.
Stage 4 of the PRM
Rehabilitation
Shelter, aid and food are provided to return the QOL to normal levels.
Stage 5 of the PRM
Reconstruction
Property and infrastructure are rebuilt and crops are replanted.
1 of 2 outcomes will result from this:
If the buildings are the same standard as before, the QOL will return to normal
or countries will have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and building will be higher quality, so the QOL improves.
The Hazard management cycle
It consists of the steps that emergency managers take in planning for, and responding to, disasters, taking into account preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.
Each step in the disaster cycle correlates to part of the ongoing cycle that is emergency management. This disaster cycle is used throughout the emergency management community, from the local to the national and international levels
The HMC - Preparedness
Planning how to respond e.g. warning systems, emergency exercise, evacuation
The HMC - Mitigation
Minimising the impacts of disasters e.g. flood defences and fire resistant roofs.
The HMC - Response
Reactions when a disaster occurs e.g. evacuation people, relief, search and rescue.
The HMC - Recovery
Returning the community back to normal e.g. medical care, grants, restoring services, temporary housing.
